Parker Pennington is the only man to have won national titles on the junior, novice, intermediate and junior levels. At the U.S. Championships, Jan. 22-30, in Greensboro, N.C., he is going for his first senior level victory.
“Getting very excited for nationals, especially because I choreographed my own programs this year and everything down to the acting is my own spin on a new look for my skating this season,” Pennington wrote in a journal entry posted on his official website. “To compliment my choreography, I have been working hard to gain consistency and am looking forward to showcasing my improvements.”
“It will be a great nationals also because I will have so many friends and family in attendance this year,” he also said. “For some reason, everyone is choosing this nationals to attend. No complaints here.”
Pennington has competed at the senior level since 2002, finishing as high as sixth in 2003 and seventh in 2007. Before leaving for the 2011 U.S. Championship, he shared his nationals inspired poem with Figure Skaters Online.
An Ode to Nationals
By Parker Pennington
Tis’ the Season to be Skating,
When Ponds are Aplenty,
Like Flowers hitting their stride,
Just at the Right Time,
The Moment to Arise,
Step up to the Plate,
Face the Unique Occasion,
Where butterflies roam Free,
Angels Fall from the Sky,
A Rainbow takes Center Stage,
The air is full of Life,
The Ice is twice as Nice,
The season sweeps you away,
Left nothing short of breathless,
When the Ice,
Broken or not,
Surrenders to something bigger
than any man,
Where medal or not,
The Journey is what matters
It is the time to embrace,
Share the moment with all that
matter to you,
For love of the sport and so much
more,
It is what rinks were built upon,
Like the Roman Cathedral,
More than just a far‐fetched
vision,
It is the Dreams get Realized,
What awaits at the end,
But a Pot of Gold, Lucky Charms
and Superstitions,
Waiting for the Moment,
The time of living.
__________
Photo courtesy of Leah Adams
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